Future of cable/satellite TV

[Moe]

This article caught me off guard and this article saying if cable and satellite companies adopt Charter Spectrum based contract with all networks that include free access to ads based streaming services, so multiple secondary channels are at higher risk of closures in near future. It is not known if other cable and satellite companies would adopt those contract, nor other networks outside of Disney offer those contract.

Right now, the future of cable/satellite TV are uncertain and we need to know about news related to pay TV operators and networks. In worst scenario, my hope to see the slow demise of some linear channels or transition to FAST/OTA, rather than fast demise of networks. FCC decided to delay on ATSC 3.0 is bad news to broadcasters, future TV and networks because ATSC 3.0 is seen as crucial technology to allow cable channels transition to FAST/OTA and they support to add many channels in single transmitter and much improved reception. It is similar to Freeview in the UK. The delay wouldn't happen if our legislators support to speed up the transition from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0 and have wide options of ATSC 3.0 converter boxes available for mass production, similar to vouchers for analog to digital conversion in late 2000s.

Note: I'm not your therapist nor your emotion support, but I have to take a thread title with consideration to not startle or upset the members. I do believe that news articles are deserve to be shown to the public and you deserve to get those information instead of hidden. Of course, the decline of cable/satellite TV are upsetting to many of us who rather to preserve the linear channels and yes, streaming services are real threat to cable/satellite TV, however they have some advantage and disadvantage. You are welcome to consider this article as a grain of salt, but as for me, I'm treat this article as cautionary and felt that writers admitted that could be possibility.

Over 30 Cable TV Channels Could Shut Down Soon, Including TCM, Disney Jr. SyFy, BBC America, & More | Cord Cutters News

When Charter Communications Spectrum struck a deal with Disney to end the 12-day cable blackout and bring back channels like ESPN and FX to the cable provider’s lineup, a few of Disney-owned networks were left out. Spectrum plans to drop Baby TV, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, FXM, FXX, Nat...

cordcuttersnews.com

Feel free to discuss.

Non-paywalled article: https://archive.ph/eL20y

Note: I had to edit to add non-paywalled article.

 

[Zorak Masaki]

I wonder how the slow demise of cable will affect tvs in public places like restaurants, airport lounges, hospitals, nursing homes, and the like.

 

[Gatomon41]

Alas, cable is lacking in variety and interesting shows these days. It’s not like back in the 2000’s were each channel had a specialty, each had their own interesting programs and audience.

Now it’s 200 channels of nothing worth watching most of the time. There isn’t any incentive as most Networks (with a few exceptions) have become the same generic schedule.

 

[Moe]

I wonder how the slow demise of cable will affect tvs in public places like restaurants, airport lounges, hospitals, nursing homes, and the like.

Networks would have to continue carrying specific channels for those places and they could create multiple specialized channels to give more options for institutions.

and deaf residential schools and universities too - they rely on cable TV or satellite TV. My old university named Gallaudet University relied on customized DirecTV service for whole campus, but use master antenna for local channels and subchannels.

 

[Zorak Masaki]

Alas, cable is lacking in variety and interesting shows these days. It’s not like back in the 2000’s were each channel had a specialty, each had their own interesting programs and audience.

Now it’s 200 channels of nothing worth watching most of the time. There isn’t any incentive as most Networks (with a few exceptions) have become the same generic schedule.

Heck, aside from Adult Swim, most channels dont even focus on late night programming anymore, in the 90s and 2000s, channels like MTV and Comedy Central had programming for those audiences, now, the 11pm and beyond time slot is pretty much reruns and overplayed movies.

 

[Moe]

Heck, aside from Adult Swim, most channels dont even focus on late night programming anymore, in the 90s and 2000s, channels like MTV and Comedy Central had programming for those audiences, now, the 11pm and beyond time slot is pretty much reruns and overplayed movies.

and frequent infomercials too that wasn't thing in 2000s.

I remember around after midnight on TNN had rerun of WWF shows and WWE Confidential.

 

[Elijah Abrams]

Those NextTV and Cord Cutters News article are most likely mean nothing. They’re theories. What really needs to happen is for Bob Iger to shove it! He started this mess of worry!

 

[Moe]

It is weird to see article mention SYFY (Sci-Fi Channel), E! (Movie Time), TruTV (Court TV) and TCM as secondary channels, or niche channels because those channels launched on basic cable in 1980s and 1990s.

and Freeform, known as The Family Channel, Fox Family and ABC Family launched on basic cable in 1970s and it did surprise us to see Disney omitted Freeform out when offer skinny cable channels as exchange for free access to ads supported streaming services. I thought Pat Robertson and his estate mandated Disney to carry Freeform on basic cable, regardless on carriage status but apparently not in case anymore.

I can see a author's point about E! and TruTV but I'm seriously doubt that SYFY and TCM would be closed until after cable TV cease to exist, also SYFY is seen as important channel for sport games and sometime, SYFY can be seen as USA+, USA2, USA Sci-Fi and USA Movies. TCM aired many rare movies aren't available on streaming services outside of possibly digital home videos. Prior to launch of TCM in 1994, TNT aired classic movies since first launch in 1988, especially older MGM movies.

@Zorak Masaki has a good point about bars, hospitals, residential schools, universities, restaurants, airports and public areas. Because of this reason, I doubt that cable channels would die but it may no longer sold to customers but public institutions would able to access to those channels. Studios would have to take those as consideration to determine the future of pay TV. Linear channels can be delivered via fiber optic nowadays.

What really needs to happen is for Bob Iger to shove it! He started this mess of worry!

Actually, Charter Spectrum wanted it and Bob Iger didn't like this idea and rejected the offer, and when dispute continues to drag for few weeks, so ultimately, Disney caved in Charter Spectrum's demand to give fewer linear channels as exchange for free access to ads supported Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.

News reporters warn this can be serves as new precedent for future of pay TV and we have to wait and see about future events. You thought Charter Spectrum's carriage dispute would continue for months or years, but actually, they lasted few weeks. Charter Spectrum is more of stubbornness when compared to Google's YouTube TV, Dish Network and Sling. Ironically, Disney previously demanded YouTube TV to include Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ at higher fees to all subscribers but Google rejected as nonstarter and it is obvious that Disney want to impress their shareholders, also quick fix to boost the Hulu Live TV with new subscribers, but YouTube TV recovered all of subscriber loss sooner after dispute resolved since most of former YouTube TV subscribers disliked Hulu Live TV and some went to Sling TV temporarily, before returned to YouTube TV.

 

[aegisrawks]

TV still has HUGE ratings but they certainly werent what they used to be. I think the rumors of Disney selling ABC was the time that I finally realized we might indeed be at the end of an era.

 

[Moe]

TV still has HUGE ratings but they certainly werent what they used to be. I think the rumors of Disney selling ABC was the time that I finally realized we might indeed be at the end of an era.

and ultimately, Disney realized that ABC is valuable asset and decided to not sell.

 

[cartoonnetworkpoke]

I know this this response is a bit late but you never know. I still think cable can still be viable but the companies and government have to find a way to make if affordable again for the average joe. The way streaming is going there could be some resurgence.

 

[Goldstar!]

Cable/Satellite TV is pricing itself into non-existence. If cable/satellite TV is to survive, the companies (possibly in conjunction with the government) need to make the medium more affordable like it used to be, or at the very least, offer some more affordable options. The main reason why people are deserting cable in droves is because they're tired of paying high prices and for hidden fees, and also they're tired of paying for channels that they never watch. A lot of folks want a la carte TV where you would only pay for the channels that you watch, but the cable companies don't want to give them that option.

 

[aegisrawks]

I said this again and I will say this once more. All the kids channels on cable need to close down and make Broadcast Diginets to replace them.

 

[Silverstar]

Disney is planning to add 24/7 running specific show and genre based channels to Disney Plus (Paramount Plus and Peacock are already doing this). I've been saying this for years, but I think eventually broadcast, cable and streaming will all become one and the same. You'll still be dealing with the same companies and the same channels/venues, but it will all be digital/streaming.

 

[aegisrawks]

Disney is planning to add 24/7 running specific show and genre based channels to Disney Plus (Paramount Plus and Peacock are already doing this). I've been saying this for years, but I think eventually broadcast, cable and streaming will all become one and the same. You'll still be dealing with the same companies and the same channels/venues, but it will all be digital/streaming.

I know that. But we need to focus on the here and now, even if the writing is on the wall. Streaming came and then everyone put their hopes on it and then the bubble popped. I know what the future will be, but right now people want free entertaiment without having to pay, and its pretty telling the various nostalgia broadcast diginets are about the only consistent success stories. What astounds me is Pluto TV not succeeding. It's a great free service and you can even choose both A la carte and scheduled brodcasts and yet people are not flocking to it.

 

[Goldstar!]

^^I hear you, but the issue is that that these big money studios don't want to let people watch their best, most exclusive stuff for free, and shows don't pay for themselves.

 

[aegisrawks]

^^I hear you, but the issue is that that these big money studios don't want to let people watch their best, most exclusive stuff for free, and shows don't pay for themselves.

So that's why Pluto failed. But I meant more AD SUPPORTED be it Youtube or a more traditional broadcast network like Me TV.

 

[Silverstar]

So that's why Pluto failed. But I meant more AD SUPPORTED be it Youtube or a more traditional broadcast network like MeTV.

Stuff like YouTube and OTA are fine for a networks' older content, but Joe Consumer still has to pay for the good stuff (i.e. premieres and exclusives). Nobody is that nice for free.

Also, I wouldn't say Pluto TV failed; I'm sure it does fine for what it is s, but stuff like Pluto was never meant to replace cable or streaming services. It's a supplemental alternative for people who don't wish to pay for their TV entertainment, but few people are going to choose Plutio TV on its' own instead of the bigger platforms available, except older people who don't watch that much TV to begin with.

 

[LinusFan303]

I will say I'm not a "cable is dying" person, because I don't think it will, in theory people have thought radio was dying since 1950, so...

Cable/Satellite TV is pricing itself into non-existence. If cable/satellite TV is to survive, the companies (possibly in conjunction with the government) need to make the medium more affordable like it used to be, or at the very least, offer some more affordable options. The main reason why people are deserting cable in droves is because they're tired of paying high prices and for hidden fees, and also they're tired of paying for channels that they never watch. A lot of folks want a la carte TV where you would only pay for the channels that you watch, but the cable companies don't want to give them that option.

That wasn't a cable company reason, that was a producing company reason. Disney was a big example, they made it where you can't have Disney Channel , ABC(in 8 markets), and other channels they own without ESPN (the most expensive cable channel before you get to the premiums) . They connected it. It would also obliterate smaller channels (depending on you feel about that) to go a-la-carte. Disney wasn't the only one but they are the ones that really have the biggest fees to cable companies. Cable companies couldn't make a-la-carte. Some like Spectrum and Comcast have started offering carve out services for smaller prices, you'll notice the sports channels aren't there, and you'll notice Disney's networks aren't in there. There's a reason for that. Also cable companies were subsidizing things, the channels you don't watch but still have were still getting money so people who did watch them could still watch them. If it was a-la-carte the prices would be higher, even ESPN. That's why DTC ESPN will be in the $30/mo per subscriber range versus the around $12 ($9 just for ESPN (1) through cable.

I said this again and I will say this once more. All the kids channels on cable need to close down and make Broadcast Diginets to replace them.

I know ASTC 3.0* is around and stuff, any maybe that'll make the bandwidth better, but at this moment there's not that much room and would be a lot of awful 480i widescreen broadcasting kids channels, which wouldn't be fun.

Disney is planning to add 24/7 running specific show and genre based channels to Disney Plus (Paramount Plus and Peacock are already doing this). I've been saying this for years, but I think eventually broadcast, cable and streaming will all become one and the same. You'll still be dealing with the same companies and the same channels/venues, but it will all be digital/streaming.

Peacock's channels are funny in how bad they are. Most are free channel they have somewhere else those aren't bad, the rest are fake channels , like they are just like here's what you can find on our service on demand, but you can't turn into it and watch, it just a fancier streaming menu, the other good thing is real actual Hallmark's 3 channels and Reelz Channel (in the sense that it's the real channel, not that channel is good or anything) Also, I still think there will always be broadcast TV, like radio will still always exist, it serves a purpose where Internet sometimes can't.




*also ATSC 3.0 would give broadcasters the ability to put things behind a paywall, if they wanted to, some stations have used it to already making recording harder. Again at current time ATSC 3.0 turners are pricy.

 

[cartoonnetworkpoke]

Cable/Satellite TV is pricing itself into non-existence. If cable/satellite TV is to survive, the companies (possibly in conjunction with the government) need to make the medium more affordable like it used to be, or at the very least, offer some more affordable options. The main reason why people are deserting cable in droves is because they're tired of paying high prices and for hidden fees, and also they're tired of paying for channels that they never watch. A lot of folks want a la carte TV where you would only pay for the channels that you watch, but the cable companies don't want to give them that option.

Yeah when I went to Europe a lot of people said they still watch cable/satellite due to how they price it. And that is even with the presence of streaming being a thing. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this but John McCain wanted to Pass a bill to allow a la carte in the country. However, it didn't go through. Who knows maybe if that bill had gone though entertainment could be so different as compared to now.